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Denise DeSio – Rose’s Will

One of the most difficult questions asked of an author is: What is your book about? That goes especially for character driven novels with multiple themes like mine. The plot of Rose’s Will revolves around Rose D’Orsi, a controlling, abusive divorcee, with two adult children who managed to survive their childhood and settle uncomfortably into their respective dysfunctional family roles. Ricky is his mother’s caretaker, and Glory is the rebel who hit the highway. While her children suffer, Rose enjoys the unconditional love of a wise and wealthy Bulgarian Holocaust survivor from the senior center. Eli, somewhat of an existentialist philosopher, has found a way to appreciate the type of love Rose has to offer. When Rose gets a terminal illness, Eli is devastated, Ricky heads for his breaking point, and Rose’s prodigal daughter, who has been in a lesbian relationship for 11 years, returns and enlists her people-pleasing brother in one final effort to bring the family together. What happens next forces the siblings to face their life choices and each other in a showdown that could lead to disaster.

But that’s not what Rose’s Will is about. To answer your question, Rose’s Will is about authenticity, love, moral commitment, compassion, sanity, abuse, and the choices that make or break us.

What inspired you to write this book?

I began writing Rose’s Will as a memoir after the death of my mother. She and I had a terrible relationship and writing about it helped to sort out feelings that I was too tough to express in real life. Writing for therapy, however, never results in my best work, plus it’s hard to type when you’re crying. At some point my muse jumped in and demanded that I add two more voices with unique points of view. My creativity spiked, I found my sense of humor, and I became so interested in my other characters that I stopped feeling sorry for myself and put all my energy into my craft.

How did you choose the title?

I’m usually horrible with titles, but this novel titled itself. Rose’s Will is a double entendre that conveys both Rose’s stubborn willfulness and her legacy.

Tell us anything we might find interesting about you.

Well, if you buy my book, the part of Glory will tell it all, but I’ll give you a head start here. I’m a Brooklyn girl who’s been living in Phoenix, AZ for the past 15 years. I put myself through college and graduate school at the age of 30, while raising two young children, and I majored in Education and English literature. Other people think I’m much more interesting than I really am. I think I’m stable, rational and organized, yet I’ve been described by others as wacky, unbelievable, and outrageous. I just don’t get it.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

The only obstacle that I encountered in getting this book published was my own fear of failure, or maybe even success. I’ve written all my life and never made a serious effort to get published. When I let it slip, in my social circle, that I’d finally finished my novel, my friends and family put the screws on me. “Send out that manuscript…or else!” I grudgingly sent out about 8 query letters and two partial manuscripts before 48fourteen.com miraculously picked it up.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Edit. Edit. Edit. Make every word count and never say in ten words what you could have said in three.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

Rose’s Will is for men and women who have ever yearned for love and acceptance.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

You can purchase Rose’s Will for only $4.99 through my website at DeniseDeSio.com where you’ll find direct links to buy it from Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Nook, and on my publisher’s site at www.48fourteen.com for all other devices. On 48fourteen, you’ll find my bio, which contains tidbits that are not in the book, and if you register with 48fourteen, you can also join the forum to talk directly with authors, discuss the books, and leave a review.
PS:
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